River Turning Red
by TheCaptainHP
Summary: Part of the Forever Marauding series.  James, Sirius, Peter, and Remus. The Marauders are dead. What if this wasn't how things had to be though? What if there had been another life, another path for them each? Remus Lupin discovers what could have been.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1-

_Everything we got is slipping away._

_-Matt Kearney, All I Need_

Remus was the last one to rejoin his friends. James paced nervously across the floor of the Shrieking Shack. Of course this was where they had all come back to. What other location was more appropriate? This was their old haunting ground. They had spent so many hours here in school, full moon or otherwise.

"Shouldn't he be here by now?" He whined.

Jenny smiled softly. "Give him some time. He'll be here soon. You remember how it was when you came. These things aren't instant."

Peter sat curled up in a threadbare arm chair in the corner. He was the odd one out. Since he was already dead it wasn't possible for his friends to kill him again. That was his only saving grace. He scratched at his nose, remembering the last time they had all been here together. They had been happy. None of them had even imagined that the future held for them something relatively close to their eventual fates.

"Cheer up, mate. You've already got your best friend again." Sirius gave his best friend a playful shove, knocking him slightly off balance.

Jenny raised an eyebrow. "Here he comes."

Footsteps echoed down the hallway as an exhausted appearing Remus came shuffling into the room. He blinked in disbelief.

"No. Bloody hell no." He stated, shaking his head. "No." He repeated with more force.

James and Sirius smiled weakly at their friend. "You'd think that you weren't happy to see us or something, Moony." Sirius said jokingly.

"Sirius…" Jenny admonished, shaking her head. "Remus, we know that the timing isn't exactly convenient. A new wife and son… It's terrible that it had to happen this way."

He scowled. "I am not dead. That isn't possible. I'm going home with Dora to our son. We're going to win the war. Good has to win." Remus insisted. "Who are you?"

"Bit rude, don't you think?" James snorted.

"James, it's quite alright. You all said just about the same thing to me when you first came anyways." She smiled weakly. "Jenny Thompson. I was a Hufflepuff in your year. You talked to me a handful of times."

Remus frowned deeply. "I get why they're all here. James and Sirius were my best friends." He shot a disapproving look at Peter. "Why you?"

"Always the scholar." Sirius stage-whispered to James.

"Shut it, Black." Sirius couldn't understand the sea of emotions Remus was drowning in right now. He hadn't had anything going for him when he had died. Really, his death had been almost an escape. It meant he didn't have to run or hide anymore. But Remus, Remus had been different. James would understand.

"Someone has to be there to greet you when you…come over. No one can do it alone." She said gently. "I don't know why I had to be the one to deal with you boys. Trust me, I don't particularly enjoy it."

James and Sirius pouted. "Aw, Jen! I thought we were starting to be friends." James protested.

She laughed. "You boys are too much drama for me. I'd like to enjoy the relaxation of this…world." She ran a hand through her hair. "Anyways, enough beating around the bush. You're all here now."

"Right. We're sorry about the whole dying thing, mate." Sirius added. "Don't worry, Harry will keep an eye on your little man. Orphans got to stick together, right?"

James punched his best friend. "Shut it. Just because it's been all this time doesn't mean I still don't feel bad for all I put Harry through."

"Boys!" Jenny called. "That's all fine and lovely, but we really must get moving on. You've all lived…fulfilling lives."

"Yep. Wormtail got a real big case of the warm and fuzzies for destroying two of his supposed best friends."

Jenny glared at Sirius. "You already got into that. As I said, you all lived…lives." She revised. "I'm sure they weren't the lives none of you expected to live." She smiled apologetically at James and Remus. "And I won't have any smart comments out of you, Black. Things tend to work out certain ways for a reason but… That doesn't always mean that there weren't other options. Other paths."

Peter perked up. "What are you saying, Jenny? We get a re-do?"

The rest of the Marauders tensed at the idea. None of them believed that Peter deserved that. Nothing could make up for what he had done.

She shook her head. "No, Peter. Not a re-do. I'm going to show you what could have been. Another world, and another path. You all have them. James, you're first."

He pumped his fists jokingly. "Ha! Take that, losers. I won."

Jenny opened the first door down the hallway for James, and gestured for him to step inside the room. She closed the door firmly behind him. "As fun as it's been, Sirius, it's your time."

He pouted. "Won't I get to see you again, Jen?"

"Hopefully not." She gave him a slightly push through his door. "Although I rather like the Sirius you could have been."

He raised an eyebrow. "Do you? Would you be interested in-"

Jenny slammed the door closed behind him. "Peter, dear?" She gestured to the next door. "I think you'll find it an improvement. It's different at the very least."

He nodded. Peter stared up at Jenny, his eyes beginning to water slightly. "Thank you. Thank you for standing up for me."

Remus rolled his eyes. Treacherous little…

"Remus? Last but not least." She rested a hand on his shoulder. "You're quite a rambunctious bunch."

He laughed weakly. "I've heard that before. I'm supposed to be the beast, but I'm quite tame compared to James and Sirius."

"You can say that again. That will be important for you in there." She gave him a pat on the shoulder.

Remus took a slow step into the room, his eyes closed. What was he supposed to do? How did this work? A different life? That wasn't what he wanted. He had been content with his life. Whatever this was, he doubted it could beat what he had had.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

_If Heaven and Hell decide__that they both are satisfied__, __Illuminate the NOs on their vacancy signs –_Death Cab for Cutie, I Will Follow You Into the Dark

Remus knocked gently on the doorframe of the train cabin. "Excuse me? Would it be alright if I sat with you?" He asked. "I'm trying to escape from the idiots I was sitting with."

The cabin was currently occupied by just two people, both of whom appeared to be the same age as him. On one bench sat a girl with dark red hair with brilliantly green eyes. Across from her sat a boy with long, slightly stringy black hair who looked like he was in great need of some maternal care.

"Of course you can." The girl piped up. "I'm Lily, and this is Severus." She smiled warmly at him, and Remus found himself smiling back.

"You were with that Black boy earlier, weren't you?" Severus accused.

Remus took a seat next to Severus. "He's not my friend. Him and James are obnoxious." He pulled a book out of his bag, and flipped it open.

He caught the look of approval that Lily and Severus exchanged. "What are you reading?" Lily asked.

"Oh, I'm just getting ahead with the reading we're going to have to do this year." He explained, chuckling uncomfortably. "I like to read."

"What class do you think you're going to like the best?" Severus asked, uncrossing his arms. Remus relaxed slightly in his seat. He had won the pair of them over for now. It was true. He wasn't like James and Sirius, and he had no interest in their pranks and jokes.

The train ride passed quickly, as the trio quickly fell into an easy conversation. Remus was excited to discover that Severus was just as interested in learning as he was, although their interests were slightly different. Remus was fascinated with magical creatures and defensive magic, probably a result of his secret. While Severus was also interested in defensive magic, he was also fascinated by potions. Lily didn't know what class she would favor yet, as a Muggle born. Their conversation had drifted from classes to teaching Lily all about the school. Severus thought he was destined to become a Slytherin. Remus didn't really know where he would end up, nor did he particularly care. He was more interested in the classes. His parents had belonged to different houses, as had each of their parents.

The three of them sat together for the Sorting, much to the surprise and disgust of James and Sirius. Whatever. Remus far preferred the company of Lily and Severus to those two gits.

Lily was the first to be sorted, of course. Remus watched her walk up the steps cautiously, and he smiled up at her encouragingly. His parents had told him all about this process, so while it was exciting for him, it was not nearly as terrifying as it had to be for Lily. The hat paused for a moment before crying out "Ravenclaw!"

Remus was the next of the group to be sorted. "Well, this is an interesting one." The hat mused. "The brains of a Ravenclaw, but the spirit of a Hufflepuff. And you have the courage of a Gryffindor in you. You must in order to deal with…your little problem." Remus hoped none of the students were able to hear that. The staff all knew, but he didn't want anyone else to ever learn of it. "But you're a scholar above all. I suppose it will have to be… Ravenclaw!"

Lily smiled up at him brilliantly, and Remus hurried to join her at the table. Excellent. Now he would be able to spend more time with her.

They watched eagerly when it was Severus' turn. Would the hat keep them all together? James and Sirius had fortunately both been sorted into Gryffindor. Remus had trouble seeing that. He didn't find either one of them to be particularly brave.

It appeared that the hat had a brief talk with Severus as it had with Lupin before it finally cried out its final decision. "Hufflepuff!"

So they wouldn't be allowed to stick together. Remus couldn't help but feel disappointed. He considered Severus to be his friend already, and now they wouldn't be able to spend that much time together. Remus had been looking forward to being roommates with someone that he already knew somewhat. So much for that.

Lily hunched over slightly in disappointment. She had to be even more upset than Remus. The two were from the same town, and had been friends before the train. Severus had been Lily's first connection to the magical world.

"It will be alright." He said gently, attempting to comfort her. "We can all still be friends. It's not like we'll never see him."

She let out a heavy sigh. "I guess so. I'll miss Sev though. I'm glad I have you, at least Remus."

Although Remus' first love was books, he couldn't help but want his new roommates to like him. He wanted to be liked. Maybe if people liked him, genuinely liked him, they wouldn't mind if they found out about his secret. Might even be willing to still talk to him, even be his friend still.

"'Ello." A blonde boy slightly taller and stalkier than Remus smiled slightly at him. "I guess we're going to be living together. I'm Maddox Issachar." He ran a hand through his hair.

Remus nodded. "Remus Lupin." He said as the pair continued up the stairs.

"Who was that girl you were sitting with?" Maddox raised an eyebrow slightly. "The ginger."

"Lily Evans. She's a Ravenclaw too. We met on the train." He explained.

"And you two were sorted into Ravenclaw…" A voice behind them said snarkily. "I can't seem to figure out why since all you can seem to do is state the obvious. Of course we're all going to be living together. We're in the same year and the same house. We were all sitting at the same table at dinner."

Remus and Maddox turned to see who had spoken. "Flynn Ezekiel." He held his hand out to shake. Remus reluctantly shook it, surprised that someone his age would do such a thing. Shaking hands was something for grown-ups. Flynn had dark hair and was shorter and thinner than both the other boys. "Are you both Muggle born? That would explain a lot."

Maddox and Remus shot each other a look. It was to be expected, Remus supposed, that in a house full of scholars there would be a know it all or two. Clearly Flynn was one of them. "No. My family has gone to Hogwarts for three generations at least." Remus explained.

"My mum is a Muggle." Maddox offered. "But my dad told me all about the school, and I have a brother who's in his fifth year."

Flynn snorted. "Well, I would have expected better from the both of you then." He quickened his pace and hurried past them.

Once he was out of ear-shot, Remus and Maddox took one look at the other's face before bursting into laughter.

Remus was pleased with his roommates. Flynn was a bit much but… He was helpful at the very least, although he never did quite get rid of his attitude. They each had an area of expertise, something the five boys discovered on their first night, and agreed to use to their advantage as needed. Flynn knew just about everything there was to know about the school. Remus would be helping the boys out quite a bit once they started taking Care of Magical Creatures in their third year. Maddox was about as close as the group came to a jock. He knew a startling amount of Quidditch statistics and facts. Brant Hopkin was an expert on girls, as he had four sisters. Fortunately, Brant also seemed to be a bit girl crazy as well. Finally, Rory Hamish was the token prankster of the group, although Remus found that he was not nearly as bad as James and Sirius.

"Who do you think will be the first to get a girlfriend?" Brant asked one night a few weeks into the year.

Flynn let out a groan, and Remus heard him smash his pillow against his face. "Some of us are trying to sleep, Hopkin."

"It isn't as if you need your beauty rest, Ezekiel." Brant retorted. "It's far too late for that."

"You'll be the first." Remus announced. It would probably end up being an accurate prediction, plus he figured it was the only way to shut Brant up.

Brant was quiet for a moment, seemingly contented with Remus' decision. "I hope so. What do you think about Alice Mumford? D'you think she'd like me?"

"What's there not to like?" Maddox asked sarcastically.

"I know." Brant was a bit dense at times. "What about you boys?"

"We're all going to get married to each other, Brant." Rory declared. "Didn't you know? I'm hopelessly in love with Flynn. I can't resist his snotty attitude. Go to sleep or I'll tell Alice you wee in the bed." He threatened.

Brant fell silent.

Remus smiled as he stared up at the canopy over his bed. He was well on his way to making a home for himself here at Hogwarts.

_The pieces that are showing lead to the unknowing_- Jon McLaughlin, Anthem for American Teenagers

Lily Evans was alone.

Dinner was over, and she had been separated from her boys. The only people she knew in this stupid school. Why had she been so excited to come here? She was completely alone. She knew just two people, and one of them wasn't even going to be near her hardly anymore. Why hadn't Sev been sorted into Ravenclaw? He was just as smart as she was if not smarter. Things would be so much better then.

"We don't bite." One of her roommates said. After they had gotten to their room, Lily had begun unpacking without thinking much about trying to make friends with her roommates. They had all been chatting with each other when she had arrived, and she didn't want to intrude on their dynamic. It was clear why she wasn't in Gryffindor. She wasn't brave.

"Hm?" Lily murmured, looking reluctantly up at the girl. She had piercingly light blue eyes that terrified Lily. It felt like the girl was staring straight through her.

"You don't have to look so terrified. We're all new too." She rested a hand on Lily's shoulder. "You're not used to being friends with girls, are you?"

Lily frowned. "No, I have an older sister." Although they weren't exactly friends… Still, this girl didn't know anything about her. Who was she to make assumptions?

"I just meant… I saw you at dinner with that boy, and on the train with another one. You seemed a lot more comfortable with them than you do now. Elena Lewis."

"I'm not uncomfortable. I'm just…unpacking." Lily sighed. "I'm just a little nervous. I don't know anyone here other than Sev and Remus, and I only just met Remus." She explained.

"Well, you just met me, and we can be friends too." Elena declared, smiling slightly. "Lily Evans." She said, examining Lily's trunk.

Lily blinked, caught slightly off guard by Elena's bluntness. She wasn't very private, was she? Just looking at Lily's things like that… "I think we need to become friends before you start invading my privacy like that again." She retorted. "Hi, I'm Lily Evans."

Elena paused for a moment before laughing. "I think we're going to get along rather well. Hi Lily. Come on." She gently led Lily away from her trunk and over to the group.

One of the girls had glasses, and was slightly plumper than the rest of the girls. She had long pale blonde hair that Lily found herself slightly jealous of, although she had always loved her own red hair. Another girl had skin that reminded Lily of the way her mother preferred her coffee, as they were the exact same color. The last girl was tiny, with short pixie like hair.

"Come sit with us!" The girl with the glasses insisted, patting a spot on the floor next to her. "You said your name is Lily? We both had flower names! Sort of. I'm Flora Mulligan." She said with a soft smile. "My mum made brownies for me to share with you all."

"They're quite good." The tiny girl added. "I've got a sweet tooth. I hope your mum is willing to send care packages. Joanie King."

The last girl stared at her in disbelief. "How is it possible for someone to eat as much as you do, and stay so small? What's your secret?"

Joanie shrugged. "Good genes. I don't know. I exercise a bit. My step-mum calls me a ball of energy."

"Incredible." She shook her head. "Oh, I'm Asha Bonjani." She glanced Lily over. "You're pretty."

Lily felt her cheeks growing warm. "Th-thank you."

"Asha said she'll do my hair later." Flora announced. "I'm awful with stuff like that."

"I would do yours too, Joanie but… You don't really have any hair." Asha said cautiously.

Joanie blushed. "I know. I um… I had a bit of an accident with some gum a couple weeks ago. I'm still adjusting to the shortness of it, although I do like it. It's easy to care for." She fluffed her hair with one hand.

"Do any of you know anyone in other houses?" Lily asked.

"My big brother is in Gryffindor." Flora stated. "Most of us have been Ravenclaws."

Asha ran a hand through her hair. "I have a cousin in Slytherin. Well, a family friend really."

"Why do you ask?"

Elena smirked. "Lily's boyfriend is in Hufflepuff."

Lily's eyes widened. "He's not my boyfriend! Sev? No. He's my friend. We live near each other and…He was there for me when I first learned I'm a witch." She explained. "I'm Muggle born. We're just friends."

"Is he cute?" Asha asked.

Lily shrugged. "I dunno. I haven't ever thought about him like that. He's Sev. He's my best friend." She was only 11. She wasn't interested in boyfriends.

"What about the other one? The boy with the light hair this long." Elena gestured with her hair. "The one you were sitting with at dinner. Is he your boyfriend?"

Lily groaned. "Remus isn't my boyfriend either! We just met today. You're crazy. You're all boy obsessed." She tugged at the sleeves of her sweater.

"Leave her alone." Flora admonished. "Lily doesn't need a boyfriend. Boys aren't nearly intelligent enough for something like that yet, even if they are in Ravenclaw."

That was for sure. Lily thought of the boys from the train, the ones that had been sorted into Gryffindor. They were both idiots, and she would never consider dating either one of them anytime soon.

"Lily?" Severus said softly as he approached her table in the library.

She turned to face him, grinning. "Sev! I've missed you."

He nodded. "I've missed you too. How have you been? Are you alright? Has Remus been taking care of you?"

Lily tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "Remus has been looking out for me, and the girls I live with are all nice. You should spend some time with us this weekend." She decided. "We should do something all together."

Severus tucked his hands in his pockets. "Is that…appropriate? I mean… I'm in Hufflepuff."

"So? Just because you're in a different house doesn't mean we can't be friends anymore." Lily pointed out. "You should have been in Ravenclaw. You're smarter than me. Sev… Consider yourself an honorary Ravenclaw. That's it! That's what you are. And honorary Ravenclaw. That means you're allowed to spend time with me and the rest of the Ravenclaws. You're not just allowed to, but expected to. I want you to. I miss you, Sev."

He smiled slightly. "Really? You miss me that badly?"

"Of course I do. You're my best friend."


End file.
